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Star Wars: The Changes - Part Three

Chris Gould takes his third and final look at the last instalment of ever-evolving Star Wars trilogy, with the Star Wars: Episode ...

Welcome to the third and final piece in my series of articles focusing on the alterations to the original Star Wars trilogy. Although many believe Return of the Jedi to be the weakest of the original trilogy, mostly owing to the cuddly Ewoks, I’ve always enjoyed the film’s blend of action, drama and laughs. Return of the Jedi is similar to A New Hope in that it has received a number of more obvious alterations (unlike Empire, which had a larger number of minor alterations). Once again I will first be examining any major alterations to existing scenes, followed by a look at new footage and any obvious audio changes. The article has also been updated to include changes found on the Blu-ray. So, let’s crack on.

Alterations to Existing Scenes

The Fox Logo

Here we see the original 20th Century Fox logo, as it appeared at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back way back in 1980.

For the 1997 Special Edition release of the film onwards, the new shiny new Fox logo is present at the head of the film.

The Lucasfilm Logo

Here is the old Lucas film log, as it was back in the 1980s. Not particularly exciting, but it gets the job done with the minimum of fuss.

Here’s the Lucasfilm logo as it appears in the Special Editions. He logo now fades up and sparkles, before changing colour. Wow!

Along Time Ago...

Here is the opening to perhaps the most famous titles sequence of all time, just as it was back in the early 1980s.

Not a lot has changed for the Special Edition release onwards, although the blue is now a bit lighter than before. Colour me unconcerned.

The Door to Jabba's Palace

In this shot from the 1983 release of Return of the Jedi we see the droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, approaching the door to Jabba's the Hut's palace.

Fast forward to 1997 and nothing has really changed for the SPecial Edition release of the film.

Here is the 2004 edition of the same scene and as you can see it's largely the same as it always has been.

The 2011 the Blu-ray release of the film has been tweaked to include a panning shot of a much larger door to the palace. The droids now look much smaller by comparison.

Oddly in the reverse angle shot immediately following this scene the door doesn't look to be as big as it does from the outside.

The Max Rebo Band

Here we see Jabba the Hutt’s resident band. The original line-up comprises of Max Rebo (the blue, elephantine thing playing the keyboard), pipe player Droopy McCool and lead vocalist Sy Snootles. You can just make out Sy on the right of the frame, standing in front of Han Solo’s carbonite encased form. In this version of the film, the group is performing the song ‘Lapti Nek’.

For the Special Edition the Max Rebo band has been greatly ‘enhanced’. You’ll note the use of quotation marks here, and this is because this scene stands alongside Greedo shooting first and Jabba’s appearance in A New Hope as one of my hated alterations. As you can see, Sy Snootles has been redone in CGI, and she’s been given a companion—the Yuzzum creature known as Joh Yowza (again, an entirely computer-generated creation). Together they sing the execrably bad ‘Jedi Rocks’, which is so out of place in the scene it’s untrue…

The 2004 DVD release is identical to the Special Edition, albeit with radically enhanced image quality. This image helps to define some of the other band members who appeared in the Special Edition, such as Barquin D'an, Doda Bodonawieedo, Ak-rev, Umpass-stay, Lyn Me, Rystáll and Greeata. You’ll also notice that Han Solo’s form no longer appears on the wall (it's obscured by one of the larger instruments).

It's pretty much business as usual for the Blu-ray release.

The Dug

Here's we see a shot from the 1983 release of the film, as Jabba's court slumbers.

Nothing has changed in 1997...

...or in 2004.

However, in 2011 the Blu-ray release includes a shot of a Dug walking across the frame just before Luke Skywalker enters.

Thawing Han

In this shot from the original 1983 release of the film we see Han Solo being freed from his carbonite prison by Princess Leia, in her guise of the bounty hunter Boushh.

The scene remains unchanged in 1997...

...and in 2004.

For the Blu-ray release the thawing effect has been altered to a slightly more 'realistic' one (at least as realistic as it can be given that the technology doesn't exist). This ranks as another of the baffling changes that were made in favour of fixing genuine issues.

The Sail Barge

Here we see Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge skimming across the surface of Tatooine. It’s not particularly apparent from a still image, but the figure on top of the barge has very obviously been added to the shot at a later stage. The way in which it moves is unnatural; it almost lurches across the deck.

The Special Edition not only cleaned the scene up, but also corrected the shadows underneath the barge and the skiff. The figure atop the barge has been replaced by two new figures that walk in a more natural fashion.

The 2004 DVD release is unchanged from the Special Edition, at least in terms of new footage and improved effects. However, colour rendition and clarity are much improved in this release (but you know that by now).

Again, nothing has really changed for the 2011 Blu-ray version.

The Sarlacc

Here we have a shot of Luke Skywalker standing over the Great Pit of Carkoon, nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc. The creature is basically a gigantic mouth, with rows of inwardly facing teeth and a number of sticky tentacles that it uses to snare unsuspecting prey.

For the Special Edition release of the film, the Sarlacc had a major overhaul. Instead of the gaping, black hole at its centre, the creature now has a snapping CGI beak. A number of CGI tentacles have also been added, creating a more animated (if you’ll excuse the pun) creature.

The 2004 DVD release keeps things the same, but the overall quality of the shot has been cleaned up somewhat. I was initially against this addition to the film, as the CGI looks a little out of place, but I’ve now come to terms with it (more or less). The addition of the beak gives the creature more personality, although it does detract from the mystery of just what lies in wait in the belly of the beast.

Another very similar shot. I had hoped that the odd pink tint would be absent from the Blu-ray, but it was not to be.

Han’s Feet

Here it is ladies and gentlemen—proof that Han Solo has the strongest toes in the galaxy! Before his Wookie co-pilot managed to grab Han’s ankles, everyone’s favourite scoundrel was hanging from the edge of the skiff, somewhat implausibly, by his toes.

The Special Edition release addressed this little problem by adding some CGI ropes, which curl around Han’s ankles. Han’s ability to hang from the skiff now makes a lot more sense, although it’s still not entirely convincing.

Nothing much has changed for the DVD release I’m afraid. Colour rendition is a lot better, and the image contains more fine detail, but other than that things are pretty much the same as the Special Edition.

Han's feet are still tangled up in the Blu-ray version.

Those Blinking Ewoks

Here's a shot of Wicket the Ewok from the 1983 version of the film.

Here's the same shot from 1997. Awww, ain't he cute?

Here's Wicket 2004 style. I don't know about you, but I always thought there was something missing from this shot. Wouldn't it be cool if Wicket could blink?

Well in 2011 he can! Yes that's right, the Blu-ray release features multiple shots in which Wicket and other Ewoks have more natural eyes and can be seen blinking their eyelids. Perhaps this was what was needed for people to finally stop hating the furry buggers!

R2 Freaks Out

In this shot from the 1983 version we see R2 having a bit of a fit after being shot by a Stormtrooper.

The Special Edition shot from 1997 is much the same.

As is the 2004 version of the same shot.

In this shot from the 2011 Blu-ray you can see that R2 has been 'enhanced' with various new CGI appendages, his panels open and close more rapidly and steam comes out of various nozzles (including, oddly, his hologram projector). The water that shot from one of the nozzles has been crudely erased (presumably because it looked like R2 was having a wee) and the ground on the left hand side of the frame has been patched to cover up a cable.

Lightsaber Consistency

Here’s the first of the lightsaber consistency shots. As Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader cross swords in front of Emperor Palpatine, his face is illuminated by the intensity of the blades.

The Special Edition shot looks almost identical, although there is a definite increase in brightness and contrast. The Emperor’s infamous ‘head slugs’are all the more noticeable for this increase.

Oh my God! What happened here? It would seem that the side effects of the restoration work are rearing their ugly heads again. The contrast and brightness of the scene have been rationalised, leading to sabers with absolutely no vibrancy. Gone are the white cores, Vader’s saber looks pink, and both blades are all but translucent. This is perhaps the best example of the image problems affecting the 2004 DVDs. Regardless of what Lucasfilm or anyone else says, as a paying customer I expect better than this, and it should not have passed quality control. You may also notice that the ‘head slugs’ remain, even in this edition.

In another tacit admission that the 2004 release wasn't up to scratch the lightsabers have been restored for the Blu-ray release. The eagle-eyed among you might also notice that the Emperor's 'head slugs' (hand animation used to cover up dodgy make-up) have finally been removed on the Blu-ray.

Here’s another shot from the original release of the film. The blades are still vibrant shades of red and green, with the solid white cores we’re used to.

The Special Edition scene is pretty much the same, but once again the brightness and contrast have been elevated causing some slight blooming.

Once again the DVD release suffers in comparison to the other versions. The cores are all but missing, and this is especially noticeable when looking at Vader’s pink saber.

The lightsabers again look better on the Blu-ray, although they're still not quite right.

Yet another shot from the original release showing the red and green blades flashing with brilliant intensity (especially Luke’s lightsaber).

The contrast in this Special Edition shot is actually a little too high for my liking. Vader’s saber has become indistinct, with the core blooming into the corona. However, it’s still fairly close to the original release.

Yet again the lightsabers in the 2004 release suffer from the washed out look. Luke’s blade is very dull in comparison to the previous shots, while Vader still has his pink blade.

The bright core has returned to the lighsabers in this shot from the Blu-ray.

In this final shot we can see the blades very well. Both are well defined and easily identifiable as red and green (although this is probably the weakest Vader’s saber looks in the original release).

The Special Edition blades are very similar. Once again, the scene has elevated brightness and contrast, but it’s nothing that adversely affects the weapons.

In this final shot from the DVD release, Luke’s lightsaber looks almost dead on. However, although Vader’s lightsaber is better than in previous shots, the blade is still slightly off. I don’t want to sound like I’m criticising the restoration work as a whole, because that’s simply not the case, but these quality control issues smack of an ‘it’s good enough’ attitude. When combined with the issues on the A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back one has to wonder if these films received all of the attention they required prior to release…

The cores are again a little bit brighter on the Blu-ray, but Vader's saber is still pink. What really irks me about this is that there are numerous shots where his saber is clearly a deep red, followed by the lighter pink and so on. After all of the fuss made about this issue after the 2004 release you'd have thought saber consistency would have been addressed over silly little additions like a larger door for Jabba's palace.

Vader Unmasked

In the emotional climax of the film, Luke Skywalker removed Darth Vader’s mask to reveal the face of his father, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was portrayed by actor Sebastian Shaw.

The Special Edition of the film is identical to the original release, so there’s very little for me to comment on here I’m afraid!

At first glance the 2004 DVD release looks the same as the original and Special Edition releases, but look closer. Along with the improved picture quality, the digital wizards have removed Shaw’s eyebrows and coloured his eyes to match Hayden Christensen! This makes perfect sense when you consider the extreme likelihood that Anakin’s eyebrows weren’t made of asbestos (all will be revealed come Revenge of the Sith).

This shot from the Blu-ray looks the same as the 2004 version.

The Destruction of the Death Star

Here we have the original shot of the second Death Star exploding after the Rebels detonate the main reactor. The familiar sight of the Millennium Falcon can be seen as the ship streaks away from the conflagration.

The Special Edition release of the film changed the explosion to be more consistent with those found in A New Hope. The colour of the fireball has changed, and the familiar ‘Praxis’ shockwave can be seen emanating from the centre of the blast.

The DVD release keeps the Special Edition fireworks, but the colour correction has returned the explosion to something more akin to the original release. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ‘ring of fire’ effect when I first saw the Special Editions of the films, but I’ve now come to accept it.

The Death Star's demise still looks the same in on the Blu-ray and I still think that colour and contrast are off.

The Celebration

The original celebration scene on Endor showed a panoramic view of the Ewok village, complete with the distant glow of fires in the treetop villages themselves. The scene appeared immediately before the close-up shots of the Ewoks performing their ‘Yub Nub’ (or is it ‘Yub Yub’?) song as the Rebel Alliance celebrates its victory over the Empire.

For the Special Edition release of the film, a number of Ewoks have been digitally added to this scene. It’s difficult to make them out in this image, but believe me when I tell you that they are there. ‘Yub Nub’ has been replaced with another piece of music that John Williams composed especially for the film.

The DVD release is exactly the same, save for the usual visual enhancements. It’s worth noting that this scene now appears after a montage of celebrations on various other worlds across the galaxy.

The Blu-ray celebration is largely the same as it was in 2004, although the black crush isn't quite as bad so there's more visible detail.

Prior to the close-ups of Luke and the Jedi spirits, both the Special Edition and 2004 DVD release feature more scenes of Ewoks and Rebels celebrating. Here we see a group of Ewoks blowing horns.

The celebrations continue in both the Special Edition and DVD releases, with groups of Ewoks and Rebels dancing around a series of bonfires. All of this has very obviously been added to the original Endor scenes, but compared to some of the alterations it’s not particularly intrusive.

The Jedi Spirits

Here we see the spirits of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker as they watch Luke and the Rebels celebrate their victory over the Empire. As with Vader’s death scene, Anakin is played by actor Sebastian Shaw.

Here’s the same scene from the Special Edition release of the film. Nothing much has changed here, although the contrast has been bumped up a little bit. I always thought this scene was a fitting end to the trilogy. Anakin gained redemption by saving his son and ridding the galaxy of a greater evil, so it is only fitting that he should join Obi-Wan and Yoda, becoming one with the Force.

Here we have the scene from the 2004 DVD release, but with one huge difference—Sebastian Saw has been replaced by Hayden Christensen! For many this ranks as perhaps the worst change in the whole saga (at least if the majority of posts I’ve read are to be believed), and I have to agree. I know there are those who will argue that Anakin died when he became Darth Vader, and so it makes sense for him to appear as a young man, but this just doesn’t sit right with me. In killing the Emperor, Anakin was redeemed; he returned to the light side of the Force. It’s worked this way for twenty years, and it didn’t need to be changed in such a ham-fisted manner in order to tie the film into the prequels. To top it off, Sebastian Shaw’s warm, loving smile has been replaced by Christensen’s decidedly creepy glare. Lock up your children!

Sigh. Hayden Christiansen remains and his footage hasn't even been reshot to make him look more like he belongs in the scene and not a maximum security facility for sexual predators.

New Scenes

Oola’s Fate

For the Special Edition release of the film onwards, a couple of shots of the unfortunate Twi’lek dancer, Oola, have been added. This reaction occurs after she falls into the rancor’s pit. Unsurprisingly, she looks a little apprehensive! You may be interested to know that this scene was shot specifically for the Special Edition release, and actress Femi Taylor was in such good shape she was able to reprise her role after almost fifteen years.

Boba Fett Flirts

For the Special Edition release of the film onwards, a new shot featuring Boba Fett flirting with dancers Lyn Me and Rystáll has been inserted as the bounty hunter Boushh brings the captive Chewbacca into Jabba’s courtroom.

A Herd of Banthas

For the Special Edition release onwards, a short scene featuring a herd of Banthas is included. This appears immediately before the first shot of Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge traversing the Dune Sea of Tatooine, on its way to the Great Pit of Carkoon.

Extended Celebrations

From the Special Edition onwards the film contains a number of new scenes that precede the initial shot of the celebrations at the Ewok village. The first of these is a shot of the inhabitants of Cloud City, rejoicing at the news of the Empire’s defeat. Obviously this CGI addition stands out in comparison to the practical sets, but on the whole it’s not too bad.

The next planet we visit is Tatooine, which is literally teeming with activity as people line the streets to express their joy at the demise of the Empire. My Cloud City comments are applicable to this scene to a certain extent, although I have to admit it makes for an impressive spectacle.

In one scene featured in the 2004 DVD release that wasn’t present in the Special Edition we take a brief trip to Naboo, home of Padme Amidala, Emperor Palpatine and, of course, Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans. Here it is in all it’s glory, complete with Gungans shouting ‘Wesa free!’…

Perhaps the most impressive of the celebration shots is that of Courascant, seat of galactic power. Millions of citizens are visible as the entire planet celebrates its freedom from Imperial tyranny.

This shot is much the same as the preceding image, save for one difference. Those of you with keen eyes might have noticed that the senate building has been added 2004 DVD release. To me, this is a slightly unnecessary attempt to tie the original and prequel trilogies together.

Here we see another shot from the celebrations on Courascant. If you look very closely at the right hand side of the frame you may notice Emperor Palpatine’s statue being toppled.

Here we have the same shot from the 2004 DVD release. It looks fairly similar at first glance, but if you look closely you’ll see that the building second from the left has gone in order to make way for a shot of the Jedi Temple. Once again this seems to be another unnecessary attempt to tie the trilogies together. You have to wonder if the Sith would even have allowed the temple to remain standing.

Luke Congratulates Wedge

For the Special Edition release of the film, a new shot of Luke congratulating Wedge Antilles has been inserted. Although shot during production, it did not appear in the 1983 theatrical release of the film.

Audio Changes

'Trust Me'

When Lando Calrissian falls into the Great Pit of Carkoon, Han Solo attempts to save his friend by lowering a force pike. As he does this, the Sarlacc latches onto Lando with a sticky tentacle, forcing Han to use a blaster to remove it. Of course, at this point in time Han is still blind due to his hibernation sickness, leading to the following exchange. For the Special Edition onwards, Han’s line has been altered to this. Personally I think either line is pretty funny. I imagine that this dialogue change is a result of a different audio element being used (possibly from an alternate take), much the same as Luke’s ‘You’re lucky you don’t taste very good’ line in The Empire Strikes Back.

'No. Noooooooooo!'

The climactic scene of Return of the Jedi sees Darth Vader turn away from evil to save his son, Luke. For almost thirty years the Dark Lord has looked on in silence before ultimately making the decision to sacrifice himself, as heard in this this clip. For the Blu-ray release of the film George Lucas has decided to add some dialogue to the scene. Now, instead of making his decision silently Vader yells 'no!' before he hurls the Emperor down the reactor shaft, as evidenced by this clip. Already the cause of many boxset cancellations and the subject of countless memes, this change has met with a lot of criticism from people who feel that the new dialogue spoon feeds us Vader's emotional state where it was merely implied before. Others just think it sounds bad. It would appear that it was done to add symmetry between the ending of Revenge of the Sith and this film, but as with so many of the Blu-ray additions it just feels tacked on. There's no real anger in Vader's voice, which would have helped to better sell the new dialogue. Still, it's here to stay so we'd better get used to it.

Conclusions

Well there you have it. Return of the Jedi has undergone some major changes throughout the years. Like A New Hope before it the film has suffered from the introduction of a number of CGI creatures, but perhaps the worst of the changes is the introduction of Hayden Christensen, who replaces Sebastian Shaw as the spirit of Anakin Skywalker. I know Lucas has his reasons for doing this but surely the prequels should fit the continuity of the original films, not vice versa? The Blu-ray release brings with it yet more changes, many of which seem to be a case of 'because we can' rather than 'because we should'. As with the other comparisons (and indeed the films themselves) this article will never be truly finished. I will continue to update it as long as George continues to tinker. I hope you’ve enjoyed this retrospective look at Return of the Jedi and indeed the other films in the trilogy, and that it’s opened your eyes to the scope of the changes, for better or worse.

You can read the first, second and fourth instalments of the guide by clicking here, here and here.

My thanks go to Russ Dawson for his invaluable help in sourcing some of the material for this comparison.

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Looking at speeder bike chase again, I can't help feeling that an opportunity has been missed to help ground the visual effects by animating the foliage/ferns as the speeders race above the ground. It's always stood out to me that the foliage is never affected by the exhaust or downdraft from the bikes. Having the ferns blow about would help integrate the visual effects in the same way that camera shake and lens flare can often do.

As a child of the OT (41 years old) I don'tmind the 'blinking' . Them not blinking was obviously a limitation of the costumes back then, and in reality (or at least the reality of the films) they should blink.

BraffStaff wrote: Take a look at it from a younger eye. My daughter watched them before the change but also so the prequel as it was released. She couldn't understand who the old man at the end was, to her and newer viewers watching it in order, will want to see young anakin.

She's watching it in the wrong order. IV-IV, I-III is the correct order. If she watches it in that order than none of the revelations are spoilt. The more I think about the more it seems that these are two separate trilogies as there are simply too many plot holes between the trilogies. (Similar to say Smallville and 1970s Superman).

So when younger viewers watched the OT before the prequels, what no one had any idea who the old guy was? Are younger viewers unable to understand what Vader thought at the end of ROTJ without the "Nooooooooo!"?

If Lucas was going to do it, at least put make-up on Hayden to make him the correct age, not younger than Luke.

Take a look at it from a younger eye. My daughter watched them before the change but also so the prequel as it was released. She couldn't understand who the old man at the end was, to her and newer viewers watching it in order, will want to see young anakin. I just wish Lucas took more time to make it look right.

BraffStaff wrote: Why the old anakin didn't work. He has HAIR and isn't all burned! Anakin, even as a old man, if he went back to being a good guy, didnt look like this. Would turning back to a good guy make his scars go away? So making him his younger self does seem like a better idea

worst than Greedo shooting first?

Obi-Wan as a spirit isn't in two pieces is he? So why should Anakin not be shown injury-free? Luke is now looking at a guy he's never seen before, someone who is younger then him.

Worst change ever.

I am getting tired of trying to make the original films fit in with the prequels, surely the prequels should've been made to fit in with the OT?

Why the old anakin didn't work. He has HAIR and isn't all burned! Anakin, even as a old man, if she went back to being a good guy, didnt look like this. Would turning back to a good guy make his scares go away? So making him his younger self does seem like a better idea

Pixarfan517 wrote: Thanks Chris, that was really good work. I would have to admit that Hayden Christensen change was obviously the worst change of all.

I think ROTJ has come out the worst thanks to the DVD/BD changes. From mistakes like dodgy lightsabres (now mostly fixed) to technical errors like Hayden Christensen somehow appearing in the film, to the new "Nooooo" scene. And do we really need a "Wesa Free"?

Is there a programme about the changes between the films with talking heads and interviews and debate? There should be.

Gould, this is exceptional work!

Hit the nail on the head with the main bad changes: Hayden at the end, CGI band, lightsabers. Although I'd go further to say that I didn't much like the CGI views of the cityscapes in any of the films. They were a bit plastic for me.

i just watched the latest versions for the first time. i agree that adding hayden was a little tasteless, as was adding all the celebration scenes at the end. although, i think both make sense with the whole series. i think the problem is that it's easy to tell the difference between the new and the old. with that being said, i like the new song at the end. does anyone know what it's called?

i just watched all 6 episodes again but in continuation and i must admit that the Hayden change was the best thing ever. i rarely cry in movies but seeing anakins face again sealed the movie with one great ending. of course anakin didn't smile. anakin never smiles. his face had the face of being humbled. at the end of ep.3 and throughout the OT, Vader HATES obi wan. but in the end he looks at him and realizes that he was right all along. his face was one of being humbled and that same face of the young apprentice of Obi-wan not one of a distinguished and disciplined jedi master neither of which anakin never was.

Look members, I was surprised with the change too with changing Shaw with Hayden. There were brief moments when Anakin smiled but it was he is redeemed from being a Sith to a Jedi. Lucas looked at it that Anakin died when he became Darth Vader, which was a young Anakin, so he earned his place with Obi Wan and Yoda when he brought balance to the Force as it was the prophacy said. He also saved Luke by killing the Emperor. Besides Luke and Leia is a part of Padme, his love of his life. Look foreward to seeing the next triology, episode 7, 2021, filming starts 2014.

I agree with you it was for the better. Besides Luke could see where he got his good looks from. I still believe Anakin was the better Jedi.

omg come ONN!!! i loved every single change from the old to the new, except the dimmer lightsabers across emperor's face. you say you didn't like the hayden christensen part??? that was FANTASTIC!!! all the ties were well made, the series makes more sense now!! of course the fact that leia knew her mother was kind and beautiful is a bit odd, considering Padme died 3 seconds after both were born.............. but personally i think you're being stupid old farts. Stop being so die-hard for the old films!!! of course they were good, but now they are BETTER!!

how f**kin dumb do you think he is... a spirit appears, what, is he gonna think that the spirit is some random jedi from 300 years ago... COME ON!!!! as if he couldn't tell that Hayden was his Dad as a young guy.

Why didn't they update the CGI beak in the center of the sarlacc pit? Why on earth weren't the awful lightsaber problems caught at quality control then? You can't miss it! And all the shots of Sebastion Shaw should be replaced with an emotional Hayden Christensen, made up to look older and have more convincing scars. And they should keep the changes to Jabba's palace, but change the song back to Lapti Nek.

I really am logical. So smart.

Hayden Christensen's head is taken from stock footage. What a f**king liberty!

First, thanks for saving my sanity. I couldn't convince several friends of the changes - they just didn't remember the details like I did. So, your work vindicated me.

The worst alteration is absolutely the insertion of Hayden Christiansen in the ghost scene. I agree with Tom? - Luke had only seen his father as an old man, so how could he even know who the hell that was with Yoda and Obiwan? There weren't any digital shots on the dashboard of his starfighter that had his father as a young man. R2D2 never holo-projected any images of the young Anakin. And it ain't like Hayden and Mark look anything alike..

SnakePETER wrote: hayden didn't know? he obviously got suited up for it? I mean, clearly he never not once wore a "beige" colored jedi outfit in either II or III.... oh, I get it... he was probably just horsing around the skywalker ranch one day with lucas, when they just decided to play dress up. Actually, if you examine the image, only Hayden's face has been added to the image while Shaw's body has been digitally slimmed. Lucas could've pulled that face of Hayden from any number of Episode III shots, and stuck it in here. Makes it seem like an afterthought. If Lucas really wanted to make that change, he'd have had Hayden dress in the proper costume, and shoot him in front of a green screen. At least, Hayden wouldn't look so genartic in the scene. Still, I agree that the change is unbearable and unnecessary - I cannot watch it.

The Anakin spirit change is the worst change going, Luke looks at his father who is younger than him! GL has the excuse for some scenes that they didn't have the technology to do certain things 20 odd years ago, but this doesn't relate to Han/Greedo scenes, new Emperor dialogue, Anakin spirit where he has changed the context of the scenes not the SFX. I would be interested to see if GL decided to do SE of the PT, but I doubt it as he considers those the "real" SW and changes the OT to make them fit in with them, rather then making the PT fit in with the OT.

I LOVE my LASERDISC EDITIONS they didnt co$t me anything, Eat it Luca$ !!!! My 7 yr old has been raised on and will ONLY see the versions of the trilogy that I grew up on ....you donkey raping s**t eater. Its amazing to me that the original versions of the trilogy are SO painful to George that he releases them in such a shotty way, but THESE are the versions that made him rich ....WHY CANT SOMEONE INTERVIEW HIM WITHOUT HIS "YES MEN " AROUND TO GET THE REAL ANSWER !!!

hayden didn't know? he obviously got suited up for it? I mean, clearly he never not once wore a "beige" colored jedi outfit in either II or III.... oh, I get it... he was probably just horsing around the skywalker ranch one day with lucas, when they just decided to play dress up.

swapping out shaw, for hayden was by far the worse alteration made to the original trilogy. who gives a flying "F" about what today's 8 year olds think.... they weren't the ones buying tickets, and videos twenty years ago... and they sure as hell aren't the ones shelling out the bucks today either.

yes, I can understand lucas' angle on the subject, but still the answer is NO. it totally screws up the flow. like Chris said, it worked for the past twenty years.... there was no reason at all to "spell" it out for people.... I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it's the same crusty old man, from five minutes ago, underneath the vader mask.

I couldn't agree more. This addition was my biggest gripe with the new DVD set because firstly Haydren Christensen is a terrible actor, I never liked him as Anakin, and his presence basically ruins the whole spiritual gathering between friends. I'm shocked Lucas didn't add Mace Windu in the fold.

he cant because Mace Windu never died. He will return in Episode 7 that will begin pre-productions in 2014

1. hayden does smile just not on that very second that chris used as the screen shot. he also does look at everyone with ob1 and yoda. 2. a jedi can choose any image to come back with so its plausible to think he wanted to be remembered with good looks rather than a hedious limb lacking half-dude 3. luke would know his dad because of the force. the dude can feel if his dad is in a ship 1000s of kms away and you are wondering how he can detect his dad's spirit right in front of him?

I have heard so many complaints about Hayden Christensen - I want to say something. He is not a bad actor at all. You'll notice he portrays his characters exactly as Lucas wants him to - arrogant, full of himself, selfish. I think many people misinterpret the acting job and what Lucas decided the character should be like. I think Christensen did a great job doing the actual acting.

Secondly, about the spirit scene - I know people will want to shoot me when I say this, but I wouldn't mind in the slightest having the unmasking scene redone. WITHOUT Sebastien Shaw. His performance just doesn't cut it for me. Vader was so sure about his position on the dark side: he was confident that he was right. All of a sudden he is a loving, fatherly, "oh I was wrong about the dark side" character. It is too sudden.

I would also like to see the space fight in ROTJ redone - the ships move awkwardly, and some of the puppets lack facial movement.

Lightsabers need to be rerotoscoped as well - they (ILM) should go back to the unrotoscoped footage and do the quality enhancement FIRST and THEN rerotoscope the sabers. Of course, it is possible that the footage I refer to is unavailable.

Finally, ONE last thing about the spirit scene. It was very emotional for me, AND I grew up knowing the originals. However, I came to know this arrogant Anakin Skywalker character from episodes II and III, and the look on his face nearly made me cry - his head is down at first, and he looks up and kind of laughs, as though to say, "here I am. I'm here."

Please, if someone responds, don't put down my opinion like I have seen some people do here. I think we can all avoid being negative, there is no need to put anyone down when all we are doing is offering opinions on the art of movie making (or in this case restoring).

Just a random aside about the audio change in Han's line during the Sarlacc scene – someone may have already mentioned this, but I just found it kind of interesting. When I was a kid I had the narrated LPs of the three OT movies (OK, I still have them, but never mind). In the LP version, Han's line is the one from the special editions: "It's all right, I can see a lot better." Maybe George couldn't make up his mind even then . . .

Being a 15 year old, I never got to view the Star Wars movies without serious alterations. As it is, I can understand how the original fans of Star Wars would not like the changes made. Obviously "their movie" has been tampered with, and that is a horrible thing. I feel that they change to Hayden at the end was not a needed change, BUT, if done correctly, it would not have been as horrible as many people are taking it. Had Hayden SMILED for that scene instead of looking like a rapist, it may have come out better. But, the change is made, the music is still there, maybe Lucas will remake that scene with him looking slightly happier the next time Star Wars is re-released. Until then, we can only sit back and enjoy. ~Very nice article Chris, I've never read the other ones, but I'm sure they were well written too. ~PS: You will be pleased to note that even 15 year old GIRLS can enjoy Star Wars in 2005;-)

Being a 15 year old, I never got to view the Star Wars movies without serious alterations. As it is, I can understand how the original fans of Star Wars would not like the changes made. Obviously "their movie" has been tampered with, and that is a horrible thing. I feel that they change to Hayden at the end was not a needed change, BUT, if done correctly, it would not have been as horrible as many people are taking it. Had Hayden SMILED for that scene instead of looking like a rapist, it may have come out better. But, the change is made, the music is still there, maybe Lucas will remake that scene with him looking slightly happier the next time Star Wars is re-released. Until then, we can only sit back and enjoy. ~Very nice article Chris, I've never read the other ones, but I'm sure they were well written too. ~PS: You will be pleased to note that even 15 year old GIRLS can enjoy Star Wars in 2005;-)

I just saw the DVD version this weekend and it struck me that one of Darth Vader's lines changed. When Luke is confronting him and Darth learns that Luke has a sister, I recall Vader's original response to have been about Luke's mother (something along the lines: "Your mother did well to hide your sister&quot. But in the DVD he mentions Obi-wan ("Obi-wan did well to hide your sister&quot. I haven't found any verification on the web yet - anybody? In 1983, why would Vader have mentioned kenobi? I didn't sit through the commentary - was it covered in there?

hah, yeah...Hayden actually BEING younger than Shaw could be the reason vader looked younger. But you know what I mean, anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the discussion, it was alot fun, and you made great points. Take it easy, Carlo!

i think i figure ou why he looks more younger..im guessing its because the actor is younger than the actor they chose to portray in return of the jedi lol..but yeah..i like your ideas dave..it make sense..and there is always a possible solution to everything

It would be convenient if Lucas were around wouldn't it? Haha...yeah, I'm just giving my opinions too. I saw Episode 3 (way impressed, I happily admit) and the scene where Anakin burns was pretty righteous. He did advance pretty rapidly towards his "Unmasked Vader" face, you're right about that, I personally thought however that while we saw the initial disfigurement, he still seemed "young" as compared to his final scene in ROTJ. (Though just as gnarly, haha). But you do make a good point, maybe Lucas will one day bridge that gap a bit more. I'll concede that the disfigurement (and it was massive, to be true) could have contributed to an "aging illusion" brought on by scarred and near-dead organic parts. Good point about his internal organs possibly being replaced as well, I actually thought about that at work last night, it sounded very plausable in my head. I tend to make a point, then argue myself out of it, as you might have noticed. Either one of our theories, with a bit of guesswork and conjecture, makes a good amount of sense. I see where you're coming from, even if I might disagree a bit. Rock on. :-)

but did you see episode 3?? i saw it 3 times already in the theatre plus the fake dvd that my friend bought in a chinese store..notice how george lucas transformed hayden christensen from the very young anakin skywalker too unmasked darth vader as we see in episode 6 in the burning scene

im thinking: as for the organic tissue...im both agree and disagree i was a bit convinced..but not that convinced..i think the sith probably replaced the organs with some mechanic stuff..i dunno so im guessing..and thats my thought.. but that is a good argument..

clearly all of us are expressing our own opinion and guessing here...we should really ask this too lucas himself..

Nevermind, techincally, Vader is a cyborg, so says Dictionary.com. Their definition however, doesn't lead me to believe his organic tissue would stop againg on account of his machine parts. They keep him alive (dictionary.com says that makes him a cyborg, right on), but I don't know that it changes the behavior of the rest of his body. This is all speculation anyway, I could be way off base. Maybe it comes down to opinion. Mine is that his body would still age. His organic parts need some form of sustinance. Solid food would be a strech, but IV drips or protien injections, something has to keep his organic body parts still functioning. Just my thoughts.

Well, Robocop ate babyfood essentially(Not to get off topic), his precinct even had a special machine that they showed in the first flick pumping out some protien puree or someting for him. (now to back on topic, sorry!) As for Vader's body aging, I'd say the official proof is right there on screen, unmasked is a significantly aged man. We can't really dispute what we see with our own eyes. As for the spirit scene, and whether "Anakin" himself "died" when he became Vader (thus returning him to his former young self as a spirit when he came back to the light), it's hard to say what the "right" choice should have been in those scenes. Christensen or Shaw? Don't know, I didn't make/remake the movie. Speaking as a lowly fan however, I personally get more satisfaction out of seeing Shaw at the end. Maybe because that's how it was when I first saw it. That's no fault on Christensen, or the new editions and those fans that enjoy his inclusion. We could go 'round and 'round about which version is better, that's just what fans do. For me, at the end of the day, it's all still Star Wars. P.S.: Just to clarify, I personally believe Vader's human tissue would age and break down, that's just what organic tissue does. If he were a legitimate cyborg (as legitimate as possible in a make believe world), it wouldn't. Just because he has machine limbs and a portable iron lung doesn't necessarily make him a cyborg. It makes him a really complex, messed up guy. Luke had a robot hand, but wasn't a cyborg, I think of Vader as a more extreme case of that. As is my understanding, you have to have more than just artifical limbs to be cyborg, though the definition does come close, and he is "more machine now than man", I think the term cyborg would only loosely apply to him. This is much longer than I intended, sorry about that.

but does he age? i highly doubt it..i totally forgot robocop 1-3 so i wouldnt know if what your saying is true or not about robocop eating..but that is just an example that i used about aging in comparison to vader...

but if darth vader did change and aged through out the entire 6 episodes..ide pretty much want to know it with official proof

your right..but i didnt only mean his arms and legs made him a cyborg..but also his "breathing machine" and dats why his human self is still alive..cuz he can breath lol...i doubt any other 'substance' would gone through his body..but since his half machine..he doesnt need to eat. he's like...robocop..half man half machine..but if there is..that wouldve been interesting..and then every complaint about making the switch of anakin would finally make sense..but then i will need to see official proof

im sure lucas thought of everything before he changed something..(ie chainging the voice of Fett since he is a clone of Jango)..it wont make any sense at all if a cyborg grew up..dont you think?

cyborg are part machines...and machines dont age..i think someone in one of the 6 movies said that he is more machine than man..so maybe im guessing its not a 50 human 50 machine...but more advantage to the machine

I think your understanding of the 'technical' reasons behind it is flawed, not to mention a little patronising—of course Vader aged. Just because you lose your arms and legs doesn't mean the rest of you magically stops ageing, Force user or not. He must have been getting sustenance from somewhere or else he would have died. The reason for this lame-arse change, as with most of the other changes in the OT, is so George Lucas can try to tie two separate entities together. Ham-fisted doesn't do it justice.

i like the jedi spirit change (I know you guys dont like it)but it still makes perfect sense since Revenge of the sith is out.

the change is made since hayden christensen is used as anakin/vader. and if you guys read the book and the comics from the 90's...then you guys wouldve known that anakin burned (thus removing his eyebrows) not only that..his face changed caused by the burning..and it turned to the one you see in return of the jedi. now you might still wonder..why did they still change it to hayden?? its too match all 6 episodes..think about it..its impossible for anakin to still grow up after he got burned. he was half dead when palpatine found him so he became half man half machine..yes..he is a sith cyborg.. in technical terms..its not possible to grow up without food..so if removes his mask (not helmet) then he will die... conclusion:vader never aged..which is the reason why hayden christensen is replaced by the old anakin skywalker

my opinion..good work by george lucas of replacing him to finish all episodes and re-editing all IV,V,VI to connect the prequels..I,II,III

If Luke saw the young anakin as a ghost at the end of RotJ, how would he know that it was Anakin? The only way he's seen anakin was as the scarred face when he took Vader's mask off. Surely, he would ave no idea who this crazy psycotic leering 20something is.

LMAO. I was asking a lot of people that. How would he know it was his father?

I couldn't agree more. This addition was my biggest gripe with the new DVD set because firstly Haydren Christensen is a terrible actor, I never liked him as Anakin, and his presence basically ruins the whole spiritual gathering between friends. I'm shocked Lucas didn't add Mace Windu in the fold.

Right after Chewie is thrown into his cell in Jabba's palace, we are shown the exterior of Jabba's palace and we see a frog-like creature eating some sort of bug. Is this scene in the original version and the SE version? It's not important, but it's there in teh DVD version and I don't remember it in the original version...

I am not happy with changes made by LucasFilm & George Lucas, but my guess is that they had to do something. I kept wondering: if you are on the light side of the Force and you die, how does your ghost apear? My guess is not like Anakin apeared in the original trilogy, like he never took a lava bath (I mean logicaly, not artisticaly). I bet in the 2006 DVD version of Episodes I-VI Qui-Gon will be the fourth figure in the spirit scene

Quote: Originally posted by Derek Bartholomaus Actually, the matte lines are not just cleaned up. The Rancor is now CGI. Look closely. This was good CGI. I have a friend who used to work at Lucasfilm and he pointed this out to me when we were watching the scene.

I'm not defending Lucas putting Hayden into the ending, but I'm sort of defending Hayden. He didn't even know that he was going to be put into the ending of Jedi. Lucas did that without even consulting him. He just took a scene with Hayden and put him in the movie. Sorry if somebody else already mentioned this, I was just to lazy to look through the posts.

Great work you've done with explaining all these changes. I just signed up because it was exactly what I was trying to find.

Does replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen in the "spirit" scene work better if Alec Guinness is replaced with Ewan McGregor and Yoda is young again? I think either doing that or leaving it alone would have been better. After all, Obi Wan and Yoda never turned to the Dark Side. Why don't they rate rejuvenation as well?

I quite agree about the change of the Anakin's Jedi spirit from Shaw to Christensen. The worst change ever in the movies' history. It ruined everything. Couldn't at least Hayden Christensen give a smile instead of that ''I hate you for bringing me back to the good side, Luke. I'll come and get you'' look? Also, I think you forgot to mention the worse change ever in the movie after this. The removal of the ewok song on the closing scenes of ''Return of the Jedi'' with a...well stupid ''celebrational'' music... Shame. I loved the ewok song! Why George Lucas? Why?

Okay, well, I'll need to compare them again. He did work for Lucasfilm on the Special Editions and he said that they had been working on replacing the shots with CG because there was some sort of defect that couldn't be corrected, which is why the matte lines were always so bad.

BTW, he has a widescreen HD LCD television that allows him to do a picture-in-picture that could play the VHS on one side and the DVD on the other.

Anyway, the things you describe were present in the original theatrical release of the film. The top of the Rancor's head always dipped inwards after it snapped the bone in two. The movement of the leg is exactly the same. It only seems different because of the clean up job they've done. Before you ask, I've compared the two on my PCs using PowerDVD.

If you have the ability to watch the original VHS or Laserdisc alongside the DVD you will notice that the movements are slightly different. The DVD has more skin movement and breathing towards the top of the rancor's head. I'm assuming that it is breathing because there is definitely some sort of expansion and contraction at the top of the head. There are also slight changes in movement on the close-up of the rancor leg when it comes down in the foreground with Luke in the background. These additional movements are not in the original puppet.

The changes are VERY slight and I didn't notice them until he played the two versions side by side on his widescreen television.

Quote: Originally posted by Derek Bartholomaus My six year old nephew started Star Wars with Episode 1 and then Episode 2. When it came to the end of Jedi and my nephew saw Hayden as a spirit it made him cry. He LOVES Anakin from the prequels and to see him redeemed made a really strong emotional impact on him.

It's a pity Lucas chose to destroy any emotional attachment those of us who have loved the films for over twenty years had.

Quote: Originally posted by Derek Bartholomaus Actually, the matte lines are not just cleaned up. The Rancor is now CGI. Look closely. This was good CGI. I have a friend who used to work at Lucasfilm and he pointed this out to me when we were watching the scene.

I initially felt that replacing Sebastian with Hayden was pointless, but didn't bother me too much one way or the other. Something's happened though that makes me wonder if Lucas has actually done a good artistic thing by doing this.

My six year old nephew started Star Wars with Episode 1 and then Episode 2. My brother bought the 4-6 DVDs and my nephew watched them with him. He was nervous about giving away the Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker surprise. When it came to the end of Jedi and my nephew saw Hayden as a spirit it made him cry. He LOVES Anakin from the prequels and to see him redeemed made a really strong emotional impact on him.

Actually, the matte lines are not just cleaned up. The Rancor is now CGI. Look closely. This was good CGI. I have a friend who used to work at Lucasfilm and he pointed this out to me when we were watching the scene.

I feel that the "Yub Nub/Yub" song and the "Jedi Rocks" should be added to the Audio changes section, even if you are unable to get the MP3 files. It would make the article have a more complete feeling to it.

It looks like Lucas/ILM f-d up even bigger than before? If you look at the pics of the Emperor w/ the crossed swords in front of him, it now looks as if Luke's green saber is blocking Vader's red one from taking a deathswipe on the Emperor, instead of the other way around.

Can someone sue the guy to stop screwing up his own movie? Very few changes were improvements, and many made things worse. Why Lucas would spend so much time and money "fixing" things, but leave the worst effects shot untouched (the Executor's crash into the Death Star 2... the flames look like a burning piece of newspaper, not a giant shipwreck). Sombody stop this guy (Lucas)!

Personally, I dont mind the change in the "spirit scene" from the older Anakin to the younger one, if they would have made him look a little more sympathetic, not with that weird look on his face they superimposed into the image. I really dont have a huge problem with the change, but I think the look on his face is another of those areas you mentioned that seemed to get missed in Quality control. If they gave him more of the look he had when he was in love with Amidala, or something, we could have seen the innocent side of Anakin, and that would still fit the themes of the films: Paradise lost...The lost innocence of youth...Redemption.

One thing I wonder tho---if they went with the younger Anakin, wouldnt they go with the younger Obi-Wan as well? It would seem that they should pair them together in that sense more than anything---either theyre both the older characters of Obi and Anakin, or both the younger versions of Obi and Anakin. Shouldnt it be one way or the other?

Or what could possibly have worked within the spirit scene (if theyre going to change it anyways), that would have mirrored the changing themes of the films, could have had their spirits first appear as the older versions and 'morph' into their younger selves......it would be nice, I think, if it were done right in a rather subtle image change. And this would be more of a tie-in that would be helpful to casual fans, rather than a tie-in just for the fact of bridging the gap b/t the classics and the prequels. I think it could have been done very nicely this way, of symbolically redeeming them all from their hard, older days of conflict, back to their innocent youth, before their lives were corrupted with violence and suffering. Whaddya think?

Quote: Originally posted by Allan Mack Please consider adding mp3 files for the original song in Jabba's place, and the original Yub Yub song at the end. Can you do that? I haven't heard these in years...

Quote: Originally posted by Me You .... Lucas is fitting the originals to jive with the prequels rather then vice-versa, a sign of poor writing skills. A frustrating reality for sure.[/b] I agree - unfortunatly the writing is quite glaringly bad also for the prequels - alot of true fans were horrified by these two films.....

Quote: Originally posted by Me You Hey Chris, love your new sig. Are we under the consenses that the ugly individual in question IS the emporer? He probably is, but I've never seen him look so gargoylish.

I'm hoping that this is the true face of Palpatine, and that he's been using the Force to masquerade his demonic visage. Anything else would be a real disappointment.

Quote: To you I must request: please, give up already so those of us who actually can enjoy the films despite their flaws don't have to listen to your whining everytime we try to discuss them.

I am conflicted for I am on both sides of the argument. I fell in love with the "Star Wars" saga when I went to see the SEs in 1997. I am sad that I never really got a chance to see the Originals but i mean if I can like "Star Wars" from the SEs, maybe we could all learn to too. I am not too fond of the change of Spirits at the end, but it does make a little bit of sense in the long run. Mostly due to the fact that when people watch all 6 in succession, they will instantly recognise Anakin as a young man than an old Jedi who has hair and almost no scars.

Long post short, I don't mind the changes, I can live with them, but I do find that some are un-nessessary. Yes, most people will disagree but like I said, I'm on both sides.

Good work, Chris. I would have done a comparison script of my own if I had one or two months solid free-time ahead of me as well - I own the original trilogy on VHS, the Special Edition on Laserdisc and now the 2004 Edition on DVD - the funny thing is that I still don't consider myself as a mega-fan of Star Wars.

The prize for Worst Change Of All in the Star Wars franchise has to go to the replacement of Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen at the end of ROTJ - this goes well beyond the now-accepted controversy of Greedo Shoots First and even the attrociously demented decision given to creating Jar Jar Binks full stop. Seeing Hayden instead of Sebastian definitely leaves a sour taste in one's mouth once we have finished off watching a full 12 hours of Star Wars (assuming we have already seen Episode 3) in our loungerooms.

After all the negative posts regarding this alteration though, there are two things that spring to mind about it that I don't believe have been addressed as of yet. One is the fact that Anakin (Hayden) seems to be looking at an entirely different section of the Ewok jungle than do Yoda and Obi-Wan, hence making him seem even more out of place in the shot - maybe GL should have "flipped" his image to make him look in the other direction. But more importantly than this is the plot logic of Hayden being represented onscreen rather than Sebastian. So far as the worldwide viewing audience is concerned, we can instantly recognise that Hayden represents Anakin Skywalker, but we are still not sure why it doesn't make total sense here. But when you think about the one person that really matters here in the movie, there is no logical explanation for how Luke Skywalker can possibly ascertain that the ghostly apparition on the left is actually his father? The only facial likeness that Luke ever saw of Anakin in any form is from the old bald guy with (er, without) eyebrows.

Now to a couple of points of mention about your selection of images. How come you have decided to show us four separate lightsaber shot comparisons? Surely one or two of them at the most would be more than sufficient. And as was mentioned earlier, a couple of shots showing the Rancor Beast with and without matte lines would be immensely helpful in demonstrating the benefit of cleaning up questionable 80s optical effects with 90s+ CGI enhancements (even though it then also destroys the mystery of how these effects were acheived back in our grandfather's day before Digital came around). The Rancor Beast changes are even more obvious to the eye than what was done for the attack on the snow planet Hoth in TESB.

Anyway, great job on these three articles, dude. I must say that I never realised that there were added ropes hanging off of Han Solo's feet on the skiff in ROTJ until you pointed it out just then. I might post a few smaller changes that I have begun to notice over the course of time as well.

Quote: Originally posted by Max Jaybo Some of you "fans" act as if each change is blasphemy, and as if you'll give Star Wars up if he doesn't make it you're way.

I don't mind changes per se, as long as both a) the original unaltered versions are made available and very importantly b) those changes make sense, which a lot of the key ones in the new DVD releases, and special editions as a whole..DON'T - I think the nail was hit on the head a while back in this thread, Lucas is fitting the originals to jive with the prequels rather then vice-versa, a sign of poor writing skills. A frustrating reality for sure. -------

Hey Chris, love your new sig. Are we under the consenses that the ugly individual in question IS the emporer? He probably is, but I've never seen him look so gargoylish.

Quote: Originally posted by Max Jaybo Some of you "fans" act as if each change is blasphemy, and as if you'll give Star Wars up if he doesn't make it you're way.

Ah, the classic 'fans' in quotes trick. What people like you fail to realise is that some of us, who are huge fans of the original films, are still able to look at them objectively. Most of us don't want them 'our way', merely the way they originally were. I've no problem with updates that fix messed up effects shots, but anything that alters the dramatic flow of the films is bad. The latest version of A New Hope is not as good as the original, becuse the pacing has been thrown off by needless scenes such as Jabba and the extended Mos Eisley and Stormtrooper bits.

Quote: To you I must request: please, give up already so those of us who actually can enjoy the films despite their flaws don't have to listen to your whining everytime we try to discuss them.

You can request all you want, but I doubt we're going to listen. We have as much right to express our opinion as you. In fact, I get fed up reading people 'whining' about those of us who like to commentate on the artistic merits of inserting a clumsy dance number into Return of the Jedi.

Quote: I'm truly sorry that you're disappointed, but no matter how much money you've spent on the films, on the merchandise and so forth, none of that counts as stock in the company. You do not own "Star Wars", you own copies of the films.

Thanks for pointing out the glaringly obvious. However, it doesn't negate anyone's opinion.

If Luke saw the young anakin as a ghost at the end of RotJ, how would he know that it was Anakin? The only way he's seen anakin was as the scarred face when he took Vader's mask off. Surely, he would ave no idea who this crazy psycotic leering 20something is.

Sure, and if someone handed you a photo of unmasked Vader, then brought in a line-up of people and told you to pick out which person it is, you'd immediately point out Shaw.

the red yellow eyes are a trait of the dark side. (see: maul, and Emperor palpatine.)

Anyways, Anakin never looked like that old dude. So if you REALLY want to nitpick, he should appear as Vader.

Some of you "fans" act as if each change is blasphemy, and as if you'll give Star Wars up if he doesn't make it you're way. To you I must request: please, give up already so those of us who actually can enjoy the films despite their flaws don't have to listen to your whining everytime we try to discuss them.

I'm truly sorry that you're disappointed, but no matter how much money you've spent on the films, on the merchandise and so forth, none of that counts as stock in the company. You do not own "Star Wars", you own copies of the films.

Anyhow, another "improvement" Lucas is sure to make later when this movie is eventually re-issued, not only does Anakin have a giant scar on his face in EP III, but now his eyes are red and yellow, which they arent when the mask comes off in Jedi. I can't see how that makes any sense. Originally posted by Me You

I believe that those are Darth Vader's eyes (the yellow and red) and once his mask is off, he was redeemed and became once again Anakin Skywalker (blue eyes)... which makes the Spirit change seem all the less logical.

Anyone catch the new Revenge of the Sith teaser? Damn!!!! I hope the movie is as good. I nearly messed myself...hehehe

Anyhow, another "improvement" Lucas is sure to make later when this movie is eventually re-issued, not only does Anakin have a giant scar on his face in EP III, but now his eyes are red and yellow, which they arent when the mask comes off in Jedi. I can't see how that makes any sense.

Quote: Originally posted by Jon Severson First, did you notice that Oola's little "wardrobe malfunction" was 'fixed' for the DVD? It's not something you can probably show on your website (at least not the before image), but as she struggles with Jabba and ultimately pops out of her costume for a moment, the restoration folks have opted to blur things a bit so you can't make out any anatomy any more. Fanboys everywhere are mourning this loss.

It's as visible on the DVD as it is on any other version. The DVD is just darker, so the detail is less obvious.

Quote: Originally posted by Simon Peckmore Just a quick note to say that isn't there also a change in the dialogue when Leia is talking to Luke about their mother in the Ewok village. I haven't got a copy of the original or SE to compare to, but I'm fairly sure something was changed.

Anyway, like I say, great articles!

Cheers, Simon

This was pre-release speculation. Nothing has been changed in this scene.

I know that Lucas added a new split second shot of Boba Fett into the Jabba's Palace scene when he was shooting new scenes for the '97 SE, you might want to include that. I don't know specifically what shot it is though.

Quote: Originally posted by Jon Severson Second, the comment's been made before that when Vader & Luke cross sabers above the Emperor, that Vader's saber is actually above Luke's, not below. You'd think that would be an easy thing to fix, but it's actually even more obviously wrong on the DVD, and it's especially noticeable in the still shot you chose for your analysis.

I thought they did fix that for the SE, it certainly looks like Luke's sbaer is at the front from the screencap (compared to the Original, where Luke's is closer to the Emperor... meaning he could have killed him... oh well).

Love the movie but I never wish they made the extended dance scene. I think that probably is one of my top 3 hated changes they made to the trilogy. I don't really like the changed spirit ending either. I know it makes more sense now but I like the original better.

Great article for a great movie with some good, average and bad set of changes.

First, did you notice that Oola's little "wardrobe malfunction" was 'fixed' for the DVD? It's not something you can probably show on your website (at least not the before image), but as she struggles with Jabba and ultimately pops out of her costume for a moment, the restoration folks have opted to blur things a bit so you can't make out any anatomy any more. Fanboys everywhere are mourning this loss.

Second, the comment's been made before that when Vader & Luke cross sabers above the Emperor, that Vader's saber is actually above Luke's, not below. You'd think that would be an easy thing to fix, but it's actually even more obviously wrong on the DVD, and it's especially noticeable in the still shot you chose for your analysis.

Lastly, I think the rancor matte fixes should be posted, as they were so GLARINGLY wrong in the original & SE. I can see letting a lot of the minor cleanups go, but I think as far as POSITIVE changes to ROTJ go, this is one of the strongest steps forward.

If Luke saw the young anakin as a ghost at the end of RotJ, how would he know that it was Anakin? The only way he's seen anakin was as the scarred face when he took Vader's mask off. Surely, he would ave no idea who this crazy psycotic leering 20something is.

Just wanted to say great articles (all three of them) - you've highlighted so many changes that I had never spotted!

Out of the three films ROTJ is actually my favourite, although I seem to be in a minority on that!

Just a quick note to say that isn't there also a change in the dialogue when Leia is talking to Luke about their mother in the Ewok village. I haven't got a copy of the original or SE to compare to, but I'm fairly sure something was changed.

Personally, I never had much attachment to Sebastian Shaw popping up at the end of the film. (Who the hell is that old fart?) Not to mention, it isn't an accurate representation of Anakin in his old age. He should be "more machine now than man," and a robotic spirit wouldn't exactly look fitting. After viewing the entire Star Wars saga, seeing the young Anakin at the end of EP6, is a much welcomed addition.

Thanks so much for these. I have the DVDs on loan from my brother who got them from a friend... gotta love 2nd hand borrowing. I was afraid that the 3rd installment was not going to be out by the time that I had to give them back (later this week) but you have pulled through for me. Thanks!!! One question... do you have or know of any place that has high resolution screenshots comparing the 3 films? Thanks again a bundle!!

Great work! Thanks for the articles. And I wholeheartedly agree. The Jedispirit change is destroying (what I thought was) the original message of the Star Wars series. That there is good in us all, and redemption can be found, even for the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Wow, three great articles! You must have been very though to spot all of these changes (I never noticed the new ropes around Han's feet, that's for sure.), but I'm wondering from what sourse you take your Original Edition screen caps from... I'd give my right eye to have a letterboxed version with that good a quality (I still love my VHS', though).

Also, just so you know the offical name for the Ewok song at the end of the original version of RotJ is 'Ewok Celebration', which is a bit dreary... I have heard that the actual words are 'Yub Nub', which means 'freedom', apparently... (Link).

If your talking about the remake of DOTD, the biggest change I noticed is that they actually gave that older guy a few lines in this cut. That along with a few gorier head shots and a few longer slow-mo shots.

I have been looking foreward to this final installment for a while. Great job on this one, and the previous two. As time permits, I would love to see more added and updated to all the little things as well.

My suggestion for the website, or anyone daring enough to attempt it, is to make this an ongoing feature. With all the 'Director's Cuts' or 'Uncut' or 'Special Editions' we have coming out, I think it would be GREAT to see some serious side by side comparisions of the changes or additions.

For example, Dawn of the Dead just came out, and I barly noticed anything new... maybe it was so subtle, but to see all (or most) movies get this type of treatment would be nice.

These three Star Wars articles were wonderfully great, and a true pleasure to read.

Quote: Originally posted by Andrew Boyer You forgot to mention that the matte lines around the Rancor monster have also been cleaned up and more or less removed.

Other that that TOP JOB !

I didn't forget it. It doesn't really fall under any of the headings because it's just a cleaned up effects shot. If I included every one of those the articles would be ridiculously large! However, if people want it I'll add it when I have time.

You watch Lucas will use his CGI skills for the scene where Luke takes Vader's mask off, and then replace Shaw with Hayden and fuck up the dialogue exchange between Luke and Anakin, for his ultimate special directors cut archive edition.

Grrrrrrrrreat job, Chris! Really! I will print these articles and keep them with my dvd's.

BTW, I have noticed several contrast and brightness problems with my R2 of Return... Once done the THX test, I found that lots of details among the shadows were lost, specially in Java's palace. Once "corrected", in the sail barge, however, I found that brightness and contrast were wrong again...

AND the neck chain of Leia has a blur effect due to the bluescreen. You can freeze the frame, it's pretty obvious.

Yeah, the change from Sebastian to Haden is the worst change to the trilogy...it totally negates the entire point of RETURN OF THE JEDI completely. The entire original trilogy is about Anakin's redemption and at the end of JEDI, Vader once again becomes Anakin thanks to Luke.

And you are right, Haden looks like a child molester in the scene anyways...but forget hiding the children, hide the Ewoks.

Great work on the articles, Chris. This movie is the only one of the set that I have watched once, the others I've viewed about three times apiece. In fact, I skipped right over that dance number in Jabba's palace. Without a doubt the second worst scene in the entire series (the fireside romance chat in Episode II is still the champ).

Awesome, another homerun Chris. I totally agree with you, you gotta wonder why lucas is moulding the original trilogy to fit the prequels and not vice-versa. Seems like the problem is a lack of creative writing talent to me.

Just wait until the next incarnation of the trilogy, when lucas puts that scar from Episode III that anakin gets on Sabastian Shaw which is nowhere to be found now.

I must really congratulate you Mr. Gould, you have done it for the third time. A great article. I think I should mention however an addition to the alterations to existing scenes with "Vader Unmasked", in the 2004 DVD release, Sebastian Shaw's eyes have digitally changed colours to blue to match Hayden Christensen. Again, great article.

I've defended the prequels and changes for years, and will continue, but I can't muster the will to defend the changes to 'Jedi'. The dance number is horrid and adding a beak to the pit monster is, to me, the worst change of them all. And also,impressive job Chris...most impressive.